How Chris Rock Addressed the #OscarsSoWhite Controversy in His Oscars Monologue

Ever since the Oscar nominations were announced last month, and the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag was launched (again), the Academy has been bracing for host Chris Rock’s monologue. The comedian had been slated to do press in advance of the Oscars, but canceled all interviews amid the outcry over nominations, presumably so that he could use his stage time to express his thoughts on the Academy’s tendency to overlook performances and achievements by non-white actors, directors, and screenwriters. And, dear readers, Rock did not disappoint.

“Man, I counted at least 15 black people in that montage,” Rock said as he took the stage, referring to the opening clip of the year’s best films. “I'm here at the Academy Awards—otherwise known as the White People's Choice Awards. If they nominated hosts I would never have gotten this job. You'd be watching Neil Patrick Harris right now.”

“People tell me I should boycott,” he continued. “People tell me I should quit. How about it's only unemployed people who tell you to quit. The last thing I need is to lose another job to Kevin Hart.”

“Why are we protesting ​this​ Oscars? It's the 88th Academy Awards—which means this whole no black nominees thing has happened at least 71 other times. You gotta figure it happened in the 50s in the 60s. You know in the 60s one of those years Sidney Poitier didn't put out a movie. And black people didn't protest. We were too busy having actual things to protest. We were too busy getting raped and lynched to care about who won best cinematographer. When your grandma is swinging from a tree, it's hard to care about best foreign short.”

Rock also attacked the other side—the Oscar boycott, and its leader Jada Pinkett Smith.

“Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna's panties. I wasn't invited. I understand why you're mad. Jada's mad her man Will Smith wasn't nominated for Concussion. I get it. It's not fair he's that good and doesn't get nominated. It's also not fair he got paid $22 million for Wild Wild West.”

“We want opportunity,” Rock added. “We want black actors to get the same opportunities. Not just once. Leo gets a great part every year. What about Jamie Foxx? Jamie Foxx is one of the best actors in the world. Jamie Foxx was so good in Ray they went to the hospital and unplugged the real Ray Charles.”

Late last month, the Academy announced plans to make the Oscars more diverse—the most significant and controversial of which will limit Academy membership to 10 years, with membership only renewed for those who have been active in the film industry within that decade. However, Steven Spielberg, as well as other prominent figures in Hollywood, has expressed doubts that the Academy’s plans will make the Oscars more diverse.

“I do think that what the Academy is doing, in a proactive way, to open up the membership to diversity, I think that’s very, very important,” the Oscar winner said earlier this year. “But it’s not just the Academy, and I think we have to stop pointing fingers and blaming the Academy. It’s people that hire, it’s people at the main gate of studios and independents. It’s the stories that are being told. It’s who’s writing diversity—it starts on the page. And we all have to be more proactive in getting out there and just seeking talent.”

In the nearly nine decades’ worth of Oscar ceremonies, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has awarded only 14 African American actors—beginning with Hattie McDaniel, for playing a slave in Gone with the Wind, and most recently Lupita Nyong’o for her work in 12 Years a Slave.

Cate Blanchett in Armani. Scientists have proven it is impossible to look at this dress and not gasp and then remain speechless for at least 10 seconds.

Photo: From Getty Images.

Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell. For Gaga, this is a positively demure look. We think of this, in a way, like a Gaga-fied version of the Gwyneth Paltrow Tom Ford cape look from Oscars 2012 (which is a high compliment, of course).

Photo: From Getty Images.

Saoirse Ronan in Calvin Klein. We’ve said this before, but whenever Saoirse Ronan, in green Calvin Klein, gives a red-carpet interview, it always strikes us that she must be a really, really fun person to have an hours-long brunch with.

Photo: 2016 Getty Images

Olivia Wilde in Valentino. This dress is—if this makes sense—giving us both Grecian and alien vibes at the same time. A hard feat to pull off, though of course Olivia is up for the challenge.

Photo: From Getty Images.

Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton. Alicia Vikander—who has been the style icon of the season—surprised slightly with this yellow Louis Vuitton look. We’re not sure what exactly those—we’ll call them “sparkly caterpillars”—are on her dress, but she can do no wrong in our book. (We are slightly disappointed though she didn’t use the occasion to walk down the red carpet with boyfriend and fellow nominee Michael Fassbender.)

Photo: From Getty Images.

Julianne Moore in Chanel. Once, last year, the Daily Mail wrote a caption about Julianne Moore which shouted, “STYLE ALICE”—riffing on her Still Alice—and we think about that at least once a week.

Photo: 2016 Jeff Kravitz

Jennifer Garner in Versace. Our March cover star Garner brought her A-game tonight, opting for a can’t-go-wrong black Versace gown, but with some interesting “sparkle action” worked in up top (yes, “sparkle action” is the official term.)

Cate Blanchett in Armani. Scientists have proven it is impossible to look at this dress and not gasp and then remain speechless for at least 10 seconds.

From Getty Images.

Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell. For Gaga, this is a positively demure look. We think of this, in a way, like a Gaga-fied version of the Gwyneth Paltrow Tom Ford cape look from Oscars 2012 (which is a high compliment, of course).

From Getty Images.

Saoirse Ronan in Calvin Klein. We’ve said this before, but whenever Saoirse Ronan, in green Calvin Klein, gives a red-carpet interview, it always strikes us that she must be a really, really fun person to have an hours-long brunch with.

2016 Getty Images

Olivia Wilde in Valentino. This dress is—if this makes sense—giving us both Grecian and alien vibes at the same time. A hard feat to pull off, though of course Olivia is up for the challenge.

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior. We would assume we were not the only ones who got a text from a family member asking, “Wait, where was J. Law?!?!” when the telecast began. But she is there! And this is a slightly more daring and funky look for the Oscar winner.

From Getty Images.

Charlize Theron in Dior. We would bet a good amount of money that Us Weekly will shout “Mad About Charlize” in its next issue, in a red font, above a picture of Theron.

2016 Todd Williamson

Brie Larson in Gucci. We can’t even imagine the sort of pressure that goes into picking a dress that you know (in all likelihood) will be the dress you wear to win the best actress Oscar. This is a great pick!

Rooney Mara in Givenchy. Excuse us, we will be devoting the rest of our life to starting a religion around the cut-out in Rooney Mara’s dress.

By Todd Williamson/Getty Images.

Naomi Watts in Armani. Naomi Watts’s dress is like the best-possible, most glamorous Magic Eye illusion we’ve seen in a long time.

Kerry Washington in Versace. We have a feeling a whole bunch of people are going to come up to Kerry tonight and shout, “Oh my god, this look is so cool, Kerry!”

From Getty Images.

Chrissy Teigen in Marchesa. Cue entertainment bloggers across the land trying to come up with “rose”-related puns for their Chrissy headlines.

From Getty Images.

Sofia Vergara in Marchesa. Sofia Vergara is such a consistently solid red-carpet performer that we feel she gets taken for granted a bit, no? This dress is really great!

Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton. Alicia Vikander—who has been the style icon of the season—surprised slightly with this yellow Louis Vuitton look. We’re not sure what exactly those—we’ll call them “sparkly caterpillars”—are on her dress, but she can do no wrong in our book. (We are slightly disappointed though she didn’t use the occasion to walk down the red carpet with boyfriend and fellow nominee Michael Fassbender.)

From Getty Images.

Julianne Moore in Chanel. Once, last year, the Daily Mail wrote a caption about Julianne Moore which shouted, “STYLE ALICE”—riffing on her Still Alice—and we think about that at least once a week.

2016 Jeff Kravitz

Jennifer Garner in Versace. Our March cover star Garner brought her A-game tonight, opting for a can’t-go-wrong black Versace gown, but with some interesting “sparkle action” worked in up top (yes, “sparkle action” is the official term.)